«Designer drugs: a brief history of the attempt to systematize on the example of «spice» and «salts» (review)»

The article reviews Russian and international literature on synthetic (designer) drugs. A special place is given to the most common designer drugs-synthetic cathinones («salts») and synthetic cannabinoids («spice»). On the basis of this literature the authors analyse the chemical structure of synthetic cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids, the psychoactive effects of these substances on the body, the ability to produce mental, somatic and neurological disorders.

«Synthetic cannabinoid: prevalence, mechanisms of addiction development, mental disorders associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoid»

According to the authors among the new psychoactive substances, the number of which is growing every year, despite the measures aimed at the obstacles to their dissemination there discovered the most frequent violations of psychotic conditions associated with use of synthetic cannabinoid in clinical practice. On the black market, they are distributed through online shops, under the guise of herbal mixtures for Smoking. When ingested, this group of drugs at the peak of intoxication raises a number of mental (different according to the depth of impaired consciousness, auditory and visual hallucinations, panic attacks, acute psychotic paranoid disorders, catatonic stupor, polar affective disorders, acute polythematic delusional symptoms) and somatic disorders (disorders of heart rhythm and conduction, acute ischemic disorders, hypertension, depression of respiratory activity, violation of thermoregulation, development of acute renal failure, vomiting, expressed cephalgia, clinic of hypokalemia). In the reviewed literature and authors own observations there have been discovered some cases of mental addiction development to synthetic cannabinoids. The analysis of new literature data and own clinical observations helped the authors to compare the psychotropic effects caused by this group of drugs, relative to other known surfactants. The toxic effects of CSC on the body greatly exceeds the use of plant cannabinoids, and it has almost the same effects as the synthetic cathinone’s. The speed of formation of psychological dependence is lower compared to synthetic cathinone. Developing current strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients who use synthetic cannabinoids remains an important task for practical healthcare.

«Synthetic cannabinoids: new matrix addiction»

The majority of synthetic cannabinoids (SC), belongs to the group of so-called designer drugs distributed through illegal online shopping. The first reports of this group of psychoactive substances appeared in the 70s of the last century. Today, according to various estimates, there are over 160 varieties of synthetic cannabinoids, and this figure is increasing annually due to the synthesis of new substances in the group. This group of substances is designed to «copy» the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Initially, these substances were created solely for research purposes, to study the endocannabinoid system of the person. Natural THC is a partial agonist of cannabinoid receptors. Synthetic cannabinoids are full agonists CB1R and CB2R types of cannabinoid receptors. Most countries in the world, including Russia, at the legislative level have taken restrictive measures for preventing the spread of this group of substances. In order to circumvent the legislative measures, the producers of synthetic cannabinoids regularly changing the chemical formula. Each year, an increasing number of emergency hospital admissions associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids in the peer-reviewed literature describes the deaths directly attributable to medical complications after taking synthetic cannabinoids. Numerous studies have proven the possibility of developing psychological dependence due to the use of synthetic cannabinoids. The proposed review of the literature is presented for the purpose of organizing data in the field of synthetic cannabinoids.